I posted the quoted text below back on Nov ’10… I wonder who exactly signs off for MERS, if this is so?

The standard modification agreement is between the Borrower and the Lender. The agreement amends and supplements (1) the Mortgage, Deed of Trust or Deed to Secure Debt (Security Instrument) and (2) the Note bearing the same date as, and secured by, the Security Instrument. Prior to MERS, the standard agreement worked because the Lender was the mortgagee of record and could modify the mortgage and also had the authority to modify the Note.

The Obama Administration Friday announced it is expanding its flagship mortgage modification program and will now encourage lenders to reduce the principal loan balance for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans.

The announcement comes just three days after President Obama said he would do more to support the struggling housing market and two days after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said housing is holding back the economic recovery.

Assistant Secretary for Financial Stability Timothy Massad in a blog post Friday outlined the changes to HAMP — including extending the end-date by one year and refocusing on principal reductions.

Massad said Treasury notified the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, that they will pay principal reduction incentives to the GSEs if they allow servicers to forgive principal — if done in conjunction with a HAMP modification.

Massad also said Treasury will triple the incentives for HAMP principal reduction modifications by paying from 18 to 63 cents on the dollar, depending on how much the loan-to-value ratio is reduced.

This according to Straight Talk by Sharon Horstkamp, MERS Vice President and Corporate Counsel. Below is an excerpt of the newsletter:

The standard modification agreement
is between the Borrower and
the Lender. The agreement amends
and supplements (1) the Mortgage,
Deed of Trust or Deed to Secure
Debt (Security Instrument) and (2)
the Note bearing the same date as,
and secured by, the Security
Instrument. Prior to MERS, the
standard agreement worked
because the Lender was the mortgagee
of record and could modify
the mortgage and also had the
authority to modify the Note.

However, if MERS is the mortgagee
of record, the Lender can’t
modify the mortgage without the
“mortgagee’s” consent. Therefore,
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
changed the modification agreements
to reflect MERS as the mortgagee
of record.

Their change states the Agreement
amends and supplements the
Mortgage, Deed of Trust or Deed to
Secure Debt (Security Instrument)
granted or assigned to Mortgage
Electronic Registration Systems,
Inc., as nominee for the Lender.
The change also recommended a
signature line be added for MERS to
sign the agreement in its mortgagee
capacity. A MERS certifying officer
can sign the Agreement. It is important
to note that a MERS signature
doesn’t replace the Lender’s signature,
because MERS isn’t modifying
the note. Therefore, the Lender and
MERS must sign the document.